Waulud Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Waulud Primary School Wauluds Bank Drive, Luton, Bedfordshire LU3 3LZ

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Outcome

Waulud Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Waulud Primary School are respectful, confident and resilient. Pupils are happy and safe in a warm, supportive environment. They are proud and are enthusiastic to share their school experience with visitors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the high expectations that staff have of them. They are enthusiastic readers. Most pupils are determined to stretch themselves and read more challenging books. They enjoy the books and stories they read.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn in a calm, purposeful climate, without distraction. Pupils respect each other and play safely in open spaces. There are few cases of bullying. Pupils understand that bullying is unkind behaviour repeated over time. Pupils are confident if they report bullying it will be dealt with quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of a wider community. Pupils take their social responsibilities seriously and want to help each other. Older pupils act as mentors and role models for younger pupils. For example, digital leaders provide information and advice to help younger pupils understand how to stay safe online.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. Leaders have ensured that adults are trained in the phonics programme. This training supports teachers to deliver the programme with consistency. Pupils learn, from the early years, how to sound and blend words. Resources are carefully selected to match pupils’ phonics level. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to assess pupils’ understanding. Teachers are quick to spot pupils at risk of falling behind. They provide rapid, targeted and effective support for these pupils. This includes extra help in lessons and tailored catch-up programmes. Over time, many pupils become fluent and proficient readers. To expand their wider knowledge, pupils read from a range of fiction and non-fiction books. 2 and 3 March 2023

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Leaders have broken down complex learning goals into small manageable chunks. In some subjects, the description of these small component parts is detailed, helping teachers to plan lessons effectively. Knowing what pupils need to learn, teachers can accurately assess understanding and successfully adapt their teaching.

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Leaders are aware of the importance of detailed curriculum planning that progresses learning from the early years to Year 6. In the subjects where this planning is complete, early years teachers clearly understand what pupils need to know to succeed in Key Stage 1. Teachers of Year 1 understand what pupils have learned. Children learn and accurately use subject-specific vocabulary. However, there are subjects that lack this clarity. This makes it more difficult for teachers in Key Stage 1 to link new learning to prior knowledge and help pupils remember more over time. Leaders have implemented a project to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. This is in its early stages but is already beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ ambition and confidence. Pupils are learning more and remembering more.

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Leaders have set high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. All pupils and teachers understand these. Teachers use the school systems consistently and fairly. Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They are respectful and talk kindly to each other.

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Since the full reopening of schools following the pandemic, leaders have been actively encouraging all pupils to attend school regularly. Despite this, some pupils miss too much school. Leaders have designed programmes to support pupils catch up. However, some pupils’ levels of absence means that they do not learn enough of the curriculum. They fall behind their peers and are less prepared for the next stage of learning.

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Staff have high expectations of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders involve pupils, parents and appropriate specialists to arrange suitable support. Plans setting out this support are clear, which helps teachers to put the support in place. Leaders, including governors, check these adjustments carefully. They use these checks to work alongside teachers to ensure that all pupils can make progress.

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Pupils learn about how to be positive contributors to their community. The well-being curriculum helps pupils understand, value and celebrate differences. They understand their role in society and actively work to be a positive influence. Some act as eco- leaders who maintain the environment around the school. Others manage the activity equipment at play times. Pupils enjoy an extensive range of opportunities, for example, in sports, performance and creative subjects. These opportunities nurture their interests and talents.

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Staff feel well supported. Leaders are approachable and listen to concerns. Staff value the consideration leaders, including governors, give to how initiatives impact on their workload. 2 and 3 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders oversee robust and effective training and reporting systems. Staff rapidly identify and report concerns about pupils. Leaders action these appropriately, engaging with families and external agencies. Governors check leaders’ and staff’s work in this area carefully. Leaders complete suitable checks before adults start to work or volunteer in the school.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe, through the well-being curriculum and specific events, such as the online safety day. All pupils know how to use the classroom display to show how they are feeling or if they need to talk to an adult.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers are not as well supported as they could be in understanding how learning progresses from early years to Year 1. This means, in those subjects, children are not as well prepared for Year 1 as they are in others. Leaders should ensure they set out the specific words, concepts and skills pupils should learn from the Nursery Year to Year 1, to help teachers teach all subjects confidently and well.  Some pupils miss too many school sessions. They miss out on aspects of the curriculum. Leaders need to ensure that attendance levels improve, so that all pupils have full access to the curriculum, and all pupils progress well.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2012. 2 and 3 March 2023

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How can I feed back my views?

to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 2 and 3 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255252 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There is before- and after-school childcare for pupils who attend the school. It is run by school staff and managed by school leaders.  Currently, school leaders do not make use of any alternative provision for any pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with leaders, including the headteacher, deputy headteachers, early years leader and special educational needs coordinator, as well as two governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their 2 and 3 March 2023

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learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  To further inspect the curriculum, the inspector reviewed curriculum documentation for history, geography and personal, social and health education, scrutinised pupils’ workbooks from across the curriculum and reviewed documentation setting out support for pupils with SEND.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to review safeguarding records and the office manager to scrutinise the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks. To further evaluate safeguarding, the inspector spoke to governors, staff, pupils and parents, and reviewed surveys.  To gather pupils’ views, the inspector spent time observing and speaking to pupils.  To gather parents’ views, the inspector reviewed the 19 responses and 13 free-text responses submitted to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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 To gather staff’s views, the inspector spoke to several staff and reviewed the 39 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Dave Gibson, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 2 and 3 March 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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